Career Highs

Tackles: 10 vs. Kent State, 9/1/18
Solos: 8 vs. Kent State, 9/1/18
TFLs: 1.0, three times (last vs. Kent State, 9/1/18)
Fumbles Forced: 1 vs. Nebraska, 9/29/17
PBUs: 1, six times (last vs. Indiana, 11/11/17)
Interception: 1 at Minnesota, 10/21/17

2018 Junior

• Played 10 games with seven starts at defensive back
• Played both nickel and cornerback
• 38 tackles, 1.0 TFLs, and three PBUs
• PBUs against Rutgers, Purdue, and Iowa
• Career-high 10 tackles against Kent State 9/1/18
• Ejected for targeting in the second half of Western Illinois game, sat the first half against South Florida
• Announced intentions to transfer on Jan. 15, 2019

2017 Sophomore

• Played in all 12 games with seven starts at defensive back
• 39 tackles (24 solo), 3.5 TFLs, one interception, three pass breakups, one forced fumble
• Tied for third on the team in pass breakups (3)
• Eighth on the team in tackles (39)
• First career interception at Minnesota
• First career forced fumble against Nebraska
• Voted a captain by his teammates for the Iowa game

2016 Redshirt Freshman

• Nine games played with two starts at defensive back
• 21 tackles (11 solo), 1.0 TFL, three PBUs on the season
• PBU in three straight games against Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa
• First career TFL against Michigan State
• Career-high seven tackles at Wisconsin
• Academic All-Big Ten

2015 Freshman

• Redshirted the 2015 season

High School

• All-State and All-Metro in 2014 after racking up 74 tackles, five TFLs and two interceptions in 2014
• Played in 2014 Toyota East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic
• High school teammate of fellow Illini signee Ke'Shawn Vaughn
• Earned four letters in football and three in track and field
• Runs 10.7 100m dash and also competes in decathlon, high jump, long jump and pole vault

Personal

• Born Dec. 3, 1996
• Son of Keith Watkins and Rita Watkins-Matlock
• Has one sister
• Enrolled in the general curriculum